MaLa Games List/Renaming Question

[mike boss]

I'm trying to do some final configuration on a MaLa + MAME PC project.
I think I'm overlooking something that I've resolved in the past, but don't recall how I did it.

Simple question - I'm installing a few PC games into my build. I install the emulators and named the list SHORTCUTS.  Each game shows up as SHORTCUT TO ____________ .

If I create a new list I can name it PC GAMES (which is desired) and then name the games as I desire.
Example from "shortcut to FIFJr" to "Fix It Felix Jr."

However as I move my joystick left/right to navigate lists both show up.

(A) - Can I simply name the list PC GAMES to begin with, or does it need to be called SHORTCUTS ?
(perhaps a lame question, sorry!)

(B) - Can I not rename a game in a list w/o having to create a new list ? I'm missing something somewhere

**** If I can not rename a game in an existing list, how do I delete the original "All Games" list. ****

I hope I'm making sense (I'm not fully awake now).


For what it's worth I'm working with Fix It Felix Jr and MegaMan X Street Fighter. As Is the list is "shortcuts" then "shortcut to MMxSF" and "shortcut to FIFJr."

I'd like the list to read PC GAMES then FIX IT FELIX JR and MEGAMANxSTREET FIGHTER

Thanks all

[BadMouth]

Not sure what you're getting at with gamelist names?

In Mala, add another emulator and name it "PC Games"
make the rom extension .lnk  (that's LNK)

point Mala toward a folder containing links to all your pc games.

leave executable blank and put only
%rom%
under command line.

If you must have a different gamelist than All Games, you can rename it in windows, but finding it takes some trial and error.
It's in the Mala folder, but the All Games lists for each emulator have the same name with a different number.  (It's been a while since I messed with it)
You can rename the all games list to whatever you want, Mala will generate a new all games list, and then you'll have both.
Figuring out which number corresponds to the emulator (PC games) is the tricky part.

For what it's worth I'm working with Fix It Felix Jr and MegaMan X Street Fighter. As Is the list is "shortcuts" then "shortcut to MMxSF" and "shortcut to FIFJr."

I'd like the list to read PC GAMES then FIX IT FELIX JR and MEGAMANxSTREET FIGHTER

Mala don't care what the shortcuts are named and will display whatever you name them.
Just right click and rename in windows, then refresh the list in Mala.
Every once in a while, it won't refresh right and I'll have to delete the game from the list and then refresh.

Sometimes I have a shortcut to an autohotkey script instead of the game exe and it doesn't work.
In that case, compile the ahk script to an exe and it will work.

[mike boss]

In MaLa I often create multiple lists per emulator, from FAVORITES to MOST PLAYED, and sometimes even refine the lists with ROMlister to include FIGHTERS, GUN GAMES, etc.

I had created my SHORTCUT list then a new list named PC GAMES (my desired name), however the context of the list was the same. I didn't want two of the same list...it was my error as I thought the list had to be named shortcuts.

If I have a game EXE named 123 for example, then create the shortcut, so shortcut 123. I can rename that shortcut whatever I want ? The name does not need to match the EXE ?

So for example I can rename the Fix It Felix Jr shortcut to whatever I want it will still work because the info is in the file itself, not the name ?

(I think I'm making something easy into way more than it is, for that I apologize!)

[BadMouth]

Mala don't care what the shortcut is named.
Just rename it in windows to whatever you want, then refresh the all games list.

You will have to delete the game from your other list and then go to the all games list and add it back to get the change to carry over.

[mike boss]

Thanks BadMouth.

Going to get this done when I get home tonight.
I wan't to move the folders over once I get it all set up and displaying as desired.
Now all that remains in solving one issue with Fix It Felix Jr.

[mike boss]

One last question.
I'll make my PC GAMES list when I get home.
So rather than name it SHORTCUTS I'll name it PC GAMES.
Under the list can I set up games as SHORTCUTS and BATCH files ?
I think doing a batch file will help resolve an issue I have with FIF Jr.
(I want to avoid a seperate list for individual games)


Looking on the MaLa site I see the info on how to set these up, I see no reason as to why I cant configure the individual EXE files in the list in different ways. I could however be wrong.

Thanks in advance all

[BadMouth]

One last question.
I'll make my PC GAMES list when I get home.
So rather than name it SHORTCUTS I'll name it PC GAMES.
Under the list can I set up games as SHORTCUTS and BATCH files ?
I think doing a batch file will help resolve an issue I have with FIF Jr.
(I want to avoid a seperate list for individual games)


Looking on the MaLa site I see the info on how to set these up, I see no reason as to why I cant configure the individual EXE files in the list in different ways. I could however be wrong.

Thanks in advance all

Your rom type is .lnk
Anything that can be launched via a shortcut will work.
Just make a shortcut to the batch file.
Mala don't care.

[mike boss]

Great, thanks.
Think I got this.
Looking forward to going home and making it work !

[mike boss]

I was messing around with this tonight, creating a list name PC GAMES.
Pointing mala to a PC GAMES folder, in which contained BAT files and LNK files.
However the games would not launch.
When I did a list named shortcuts and pointed mala to the shortcuts folder it worked.

[mike boss]

I dont know if MaLa requires you to name your list BATCH FILES/SHORTCUTS so that it knows what its looking for ? But when I did not do that the games did not load. When I modified the names to BATCH FILES/SHORTCUTS the games load. I figure at this point it's really not a big deal and I'll just leave it.

I was able to name the batch file and shortcut the desired name, so FELIX is now FIX IT FELIX JR. This just helps users know what the actual game is, I'd know, they would not. I figure I wont sweat the fact that it says SHORTCUTS rather than PC GAMES.

Funny, in the list editor I can make the desired list and it will read as I want. But as I mentioned I was unable (mind you I didnt look hard) to get rid of the all games list.

I'll look into this more tonight. Thanks again for all the help.

[BadMouth]

Mala will display whatever the shortcut is named.
The name of whatever the shortcut is pointing to doesn't matter.

Point Mala toward a folder of shortcuts and Mala will display them.
It really is that simple.
I have no idea where all your issues are coming from.

List editor?!  That could be where the problem is.
I add games to my list by going to the all games list, highlighting the game I want to add, right clicking, and selecting "add to a gamelist"

[mike boss]

Thanks again BadMouth.
I'll play around a lil more tonight.
I have no clue why I'm having these problems.

I don't know if its a list editor problem, as I just messed with that as an after thought.
On start up the "all games" list in Mala would refersh and show the content.

What I had done was put a shortcut and bat file in the same folder.
I dont know if I should make a folder of "Mala extras" then inside "shortcuts" and "batch files."
Tell Mala to look in subfolders, and set the rom type(s) to LNK and BAT.
Again the reason for this is to have all PC games show up on one list, regardless of the means used to launch them.

I should add that Howard_Casto put out a new version of his wrapper, so I dont even need the bat file now.
No need to worry ! All I need to fix now is having the list display as PC GAMES.

None the less thank you for the constant support and help.

[BadMouth]

What I had done was put a shortcut and bat file in the same folder.
I dont know if I should make a folder of "Mala extras" then inside "shortcuts" and "batch files."
Tell Mala to look in subfolders, and set the rom type(s) to LNK and BAT.

The whole point of using shortcuts is that they can point to anything and don't have to be in the same place as the exe, ahk script, or bat file.
Stick to only listing .LNK as the file type in Mala.

Why are you hung up on the list name.  Why not just display the emulator name instead?

[BadMouth]

If the games display correctly in the "all games" list, then why not just add them to the other list via the right click method I mentioned above?

[mike boss]

You know what BadMouth, your bang on.
I think I just over thought this, and for some reason got lost on the fact that (as you said) a shortcut can be for anything. I dont know why I just thought the shortcut had to be a shortcut to the EXE.

It was me making too much of something. Now... however, I'm clear.

The issue with the names is really more just about how it looks and having the games display the correct, common name. So that the one off uses knows what is what. Again, a case of me making something much larger than it is.

I tend to do that, but I thank you for the help and the patience. It CLICKED now !